Earth construction remains largely unstandardised in contemporary engineering practice, with limited design guidance and a growing disconnect from traditional building knowledge.

To demonstrate its potential as a mainstream construction material, engineers AKT II, alongside PLAY Architecture, developed a pavilion using Strocks - HG Matthews’ off-the-shelf earth blocks made from clay-rich soil and chopped straw.

The pavilion is based on the Abeille flat vault, patented at the end of the 17th century. The system uses identical blocks arranged in a woven pattern, creating an interlocking structure in which the blocks provide mutual support.

Using locally sourced soil from Chesham, the pavilion explores a circular construction system in which materials can potentially return to the ground at the end of their life without creating waste or environmental harm.

Its vaulted form uses geometric stiffness and interlocking blocks to create structurally efficient, compression-only spans while demonstrating the buildability, durability and structural performance of standardised earth construction.

The blocks began as standard Strocks but were cut on two sides and at both ends to create the required interlocking shape. For a commercial version of the system, the blocks could instead be moulded directly into the correct form.